Apparatus for preventing the accumulation of ice upon surfaces



a 2 1951 H. E. 4GREENE J n APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE ACCUMULATION 0FICE UPON sURFAcEs Filed Dec. 18, 1947 Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITEDSTKBLTESv PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PREVENTNG THE ACCU- MULATION 0FICE UPON SURFACES Howard E. Greene, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor toThe. B. F.' Goodrich Company, New York, N'. Y., a corporation ,of NewYork AppleationDecemher 18, 1947, Serial No. 792,528

11 claims. (01144-134) side-by-side-relation, the' ination of eachtubeihas been ordinarily accompanied by a distensin),

vof the-overlying surface that is a maximum gat'.

the central portion of the tube as viewed insee-5 tion, and is lesstoward the marginal portions.`

of the tube which are anchored and' therefore-,-

lessfree for distension; At. the junctures of the tubes, the distensionmay insome cases be insuilicient to rupture completely the ice or veriFsmall parts thereof,

It is desirable to provide a, construction in which a large degree ofeffective stretchability` is provided entirely across the surfaceoverlying the: tubes including the zones at the junctures of the tubesas wellas intermediate portions thereon' and it is an object of theinvention to provide] a construction capable of accomplishing thisresult. Other objects of the invention are to provide for inilatingside-by-side portions of distensible coverings in an overlapping manner;to provide for inlating a marginal portion ofthev wallV of` aninflatable passage laterally of the passage in overlapping relation tothepositiono-f an uninated adjacent passage; to provide for yielding ofsuch marginal portion so that iti-may lift. .or n

swing away from the underlying material of the t n n These and otherobjects and advantages of the numerals are employed to designate like.-parts-- throughout-,the same: f

Fig. 1 is a perspective view from above ofini' tlatable apparatus orprotective covering/s.. on theN y'50? leading edge of an aircraftwingand constructs in accordance with. and embodying the invention;

parts being lbrokzen away and in Section,

Fig. 2 is a man view'nom above of amendemecovering before ttoclililtilik? with?.V

being broken ewan y Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3--3 ofFig.A 2, parts being broken away, and

4is a view like Fig. 3 but showing alternate tubes in the inflatedcondition, broken lines illustrating the position o1 the uninflatedadjacent tubes when same are inflated subsequently.

Thev protective covering constructionshown in theV drawings is adaptedto be mounted on the leading edge of an aircraft wing Ill or otherairfol or surface exposed to ice-forming conditions and at the desiredlocations, such, for exv ample, as indicated at II and I2 of Fig. 1 atthe outboard and inboard sides of an engine nacelle I 3. The coveringmay be secured to the wing in a suitable manner and is desirablyattached thereto by utilizing a rubber cement of the air-curing type forfacilitating securely adhering the covering throughout the iull extentthereof to the Wing'.

The illustrated embodiment of the inventionv provides 'a plurality ofinatable passages or tubes I4, [4' and I5, I5 disposed in side-by-siderelation upon a. flexible inner wall or sheet backing I 6 of'resilientrubber or other rubber-like material having, desirably, a reinforcementIl therein of substantially non-stretchabie woven fabric of textile orother suitable lamentary material.

The tubes in the uniniiated condition shown especially in Fig. 3, arevpositioned in the covering with their marginal portions I8, I8 and I9,I9 secured together and disposed directly alongside one another, that isin Contact or approximately in contact along a median line at theadjacent marginal portions of adjacent tubes I4, I5. The wall of eachtube I4, I5 comprises an outer circuinferential portion ZI, 22 fullyattached across thev width of the tube to a relatively thin outer wall,.20 of suitable resilient rubber-like material, and an innercircumferential portion 23, 24 attached to the backing I6 intermediatethe spacedapart marginal portions of the tube so that these marginalportions are yieldable to lift away from the backing I6 relative to suchattached intermediate portion of the tuba The wall of each tube whichis, extensively stretchable throughout at' least the major part of thecircumference of the tube, is made of suitable resilient rubber-likematerial having desirably a stretchabe, annular reinforcement 25, 26 forresisting blowout failure of' the tube under ination and fortransmitting stretching substantially uniformly along the major part ofthe circumferential extent of the wall and providing lateralstretchability of the marginal portions of the tube. The reinforce ment25h25,. may be stocknette or other elastic.

knitted or other suitable stretchable material. Good results have beenobtained with a reinforcement of knitted nylon fabric having highstretchability.

The inner circumferential portions 23, 24 of the tubes being attached tothe sheet backing I6 over only part of their widths. as shown especiallyf in Fig. 4, makes possible under alternate inflation of the tubes, alifting or swinging movement of the adjacent margins I8, I9 away fromthe backing relative to the attached intermediate portions of the tubesfor promoting lateral distension and inflation of the tubes inoverlapping relation to the position of the margins of the uninatedadjacent tubes.

` Advantages of the construction described hereinabove may be availed ofin a spanwise disposition of the inatabe tubes I4, I5 as shown in thedrawings. or in a chordwise or other disposition, and with tubes oflarge diameters as well as tubes of small diameters. The plurality oftubes I4, I4 constitute one series simultaneously inatable by virtue oftheir communication with an inating manifold 28 extending across thetubes at one end at 2l of the covering. The plurality of tubes I5, I 5constitute a second series similarly inflatable and connected to asecond iniiating manifold 29 at the end at 2l of the covering. Themanifolds 28, 29 are connected to suitable valve control means andsource of air' under pressure (not shown) suitably located in theaircraft structure such. for example, as thel engine nacelle I 3,whereby the rst series of tubes I4. I4 are inflated in alternation withthe second series of tubes I5. I5. The fabric and rubber parts of thecovering are desirably united integrally, `except as hereinabovedescribed, as by vulcanization under heat and pressure.

Under alternate ination, as shown especially in Fig. 4, each tube I5distends from its uninated relatively flat condition to a generallycircular or oval shape of relatively greater width than that of the tubein the uninfiated condition. In this distension of the tube, the marginsI9, I 9 thereof lift away from the backing relative to the tube portionintermediate such margins and stretch to overlie the margins I8, I8 ofthe adjacent tubes I4, I4. Such distension effects extensive stretchingof the overlying surf face at both the central portion and therespective marginal portions of the distended tube I5, as viewed insection, and also effects stretching and working of the surfacelaterally beyond the marginal portions of the tube substantially intothe areas occupied by the uninflated adjacent tubes.l

The adjacent margins I8, I8 of the uniniiated tubes I4, I4 next to thetube I5 being in separated and yieldable relation to the backing and 'secured to the margins I9, I9 of the tube I5, move with the latter marginsand are flexed outwardly away from the backing under the inflation of.the tube I5 so as not to hamper objectionablvthe' distension of theouter wall. The inflation of'` the tube I5 together with the lifting ofthel margin I8 of the tube I4 compresses the outer cir` cumferentialportion 2l of and the outer wall. 20 at the tube I 4, which compressiontends to buckle such portion and outer wall. The buckling of the outerwall at the tube I4 assists the ice-removing action between thespaced-apart tubes I5, I5 by additional working of the surface. If thisbuckling is not desired, it may be avoided at least in part bymaintaining the tube I4 linde-1" suction while in the uninatedcondition..V Y

The bulging and lateral distending actions of each tube I4, are, asshown by broken lines in Fig. 4, similar to those described hereinabovewith regard to each tube I5, and include lifting and stretching of themargins I8, I8 in overlapping relation to the position of the uninatedadjacent tubes I 5, I5 atthe junctures between the tubes I4, I5.

The tubes I4, I4 and I5, I5 under alternate inlation thus each inflateto a distended generally Y oval form of greater -width than theuninflated Width thereof, thereby providing a large degree of effectivedistension and stretching across the vportions thereof between thezones.

Variations .may be` made without departing I from thescope of theinvention as it is defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for preventing the accumulation of ice up'o a surfaceexposed to ice-forming conditions, said apparatus" comprising a'coveringof resilient rubber-like material having wallsr therein defining aplurality of v'inflatable passages overlying a sheet backing, saidpassages being disposed in side-by-side relation with the adjacentmarginal wall portions of adjacent passages directly :alongside oneanother,` the lwalls of said passages' being distensiblre 'for'inflation of ad'- jacent passages'ir'i alternation to an inated widthgreater than the uninatedwidth thereof to work the outer surface of thecovering overlying the uninated adjacent passage, said walls of saidpassages intermediate their marginal portions being secured'to saidbacking and said' marginal wall portions being yieldable'v to lift` awayfro'msaid backi'ngrelative to the intermediate wall portions of saidpassages for'ination" of each passage in overlappingrelation to theposition 'of the marginal wall portion of the uniniiated adjacentpassage upon inflation of adgreater than the uninflated width thereof towork -the outer surface of the covering overlying the uninated adjacentpassage, said walls of said passages intermediate their mar-v ginal wallportions being secured to said backing and said adjacent marginall wall'portions being attached to one another for movement together and beingyieldable to lift away from'said backing relative to the intermediatewall portions'of said passages for inflation of each passage inoverlapping relation to the position of the .marginal wall'portion oftheuninated adjacent passage upon ination of adjacent passages inalternation;

3; Apparatus for preventing the accumulation of ice upon a surfaceexposed to ice-forming conditions, said apparatus comprising a sheetbacking for mounting upon said surface, an outer wall'o'fdistensible'material, a plurality of flattened infiatable tubes disposedin /side-by-side, H relation upon said backing and' beneath the dis'tube'so as to work the surface o! said outer wall" overlying s'aidadjacent tube. inflation of' adjacent tubes in alternation; i N f Y' 4.Apparatus forv preventing the accumuiatlon of ice upon a surface exposedto ice-forming conditions, said apparatus comprising .a sheetv backingfor mounting upon said'suriace, an outer wail off distensible material',a pluraiity *of dat iitbletbes disposed" side-by-side reiatio'n uponsaid backing and beneath the dis. tcns'ible, outer wall inunitedrelation to saidfwali and `deposed with the adiacent marginal por'tions of adjacent tubes directly alongside one another, each said tubeheilig distnsble for' in* ii'atonA thereof to an inflated width greaterthan. the uninated width thereof; Said tubes nter- 'mediatetheir'marginal porticns'b'eing secured to said backing said adjacentmarginal' pobV tions being secured for movement together and beingrieioabie to im away from said backing relative to the intermediate'portion's'of the tubes for inflation of each tube in overlappingrelation to the position of the marginal portionlof the uniniatedl'adjacent-tube so as to work the surface 'of said outer wail-overlyingsaid adje cent tube upon ination of adjacenttuhes ina1- ternation. i l

5. Apparatus for preventingthe accumulation of ice upon a surfaceexposed to ice-forming conditions, said apparatus comprising a sheetbacking for mounting upon said surface, a pair of attened inflatabletubes disposed in side-byside relation upon said backing Iwith theadjacent margins of adjacent tubes approximately in contact with oneanother and secured for movement together, each tube comprising a. wallof resilient rubber-like material extensively stretchablecircumferentially thereof for facilitating inflation of the tube to aninated width greater than the uninated width thereof, said tubesintermediate their marginal portions being secured to said backing overa portion of each tube less than the width of the uninflated tube toprovide spaced-apart attached portions of the respective tubes, and theadjacentmarginal portions between said attached portions being yieldableto lift away from said backing relative top the 1ntermediate portions ofthe tubes for inflation of each tube in overlapping relation to theposition of the marginal portion of the uninated adjacent tube uponinflation of adjacent tubes in alternation, and means for inflatingadjacent tubes in alternation. v l

6. Apparatus for preventing the accumulation of ice upon a surfaceexposed to ice-forming conditions, said apparatus comprising a sheet,

gether, each said tube comprising resilient rub ber-like material andboing stretchable throughout a major part of the circux'nfe-rentitiextent of the tube to permit ination ofA Vthe latter to an irritatedwidth greater than the uninrlatedV width thereof. :said tubesintermediate their :marginalv portions being attached to said backingvover a portion vof each tube less than the width of the tern-ation, and'means for inflating adjacent tubes inv alternation.

7. Apparatus for vpreventing theaccumulation oi' ice upon the. leadingedge of an airfoil, said apparatus comprising a sheet backingfor-mounting upon said leading edge, an outer wall of re-l siiientrubber-like material, a pluraity of fiatn tened inflatable tubesdisposed. in side-byesiderelation upon said backing'and beneath theouter wall in united relation to said wall and disposed with theadjacent margins of adjacent tubes direc'tly alongside one another, thewall of nach*v tubel comprising resilient rubbcrelilre` materialv havinga vcontinuous annular reinforcement ol' elastic fabric therein forinflationY ofthe tube to an; inflated width greater than the uninatedwidththereof; said tubes intermediate ltheir marginal portions beingattached to said backing over only part of'their uninflated' Width yandthe adjacent marginal portions being secured for movement together andbeing in unai'ltachedv ativef't'o the attached intermediate portionsPofthe respective tubes for inflation of each tube fin overlappingrelation to the position of said mare gina! lportion of the uninflatedadjacent' tubeto work the surface of said outer wall overlying saidadjacent tube upon inflation of adjacent tubes in alternation, and meansfor inflatng adjacent tubes in alternation.

8. Apparatus for preventing the accumulation of ice upon the leadingedge of an airfoil, said apparatus comprising a sheet backing formounting upon said leading edge, an outer Wall of distensible material,a pair of inatable tubes disposed in side-by-side relation upon saidbacking and beneath the distensible outer wall of the covering in unitedrelation to said Wall and disposed with the adjacent marginal portionsof said tubes directly alongside one another, said tubes comprisingresilient rubber-like material and being distensible for alternatekiniation thereof to an inflated width greater than the uninated widththereof for working the surface of said outer wall overlying theadjacent tube and said tubes being secured to said backing intermediatetheir margins, said marginal portions being secured to said outer wallfor movement therewith under said alternate inflation of the tubes andbeing yieldable to lift away from said backing relative to theintermediate portions of the tubes for ination of each tube inoverlapping relation to the position of said marginal portion of theuninated adjacent tube upon said alternate irisation of said tubes.

9. Apparatus for preventing the accumulation of ice upon the leadingedge of an aifoil, said apparatus comprising a sheet backing for'mounting upon said leading edge, an outer wall of resilient rubber-likematerial, a pair of attened inflatable tubes disposed in side-by-siderelation upon said backing and beneath the outer wall in united relationto said Wall and disposed with the adjacent marginal portions of saidtubes approximately in contact with one another, the wall `of'one ofsaid tubes comprising resilient rubber-like material and beingdistensible for iniiation of the tube to an inflated width greater thanthe uninfiated width thereof, the wall of the other tube being ofdistensible material including 'a reinforcement of elastic fabric atsaid marginal portion thereof for inflation of said other tube to agenerally rounded shape, said. tubes'intermediate their margins beingsecured to said backing, and said marginal portonof the first said tubebeing of said rubber-like material and yieldable to stretch laterallyoi'such tube and away from said backing relative to the intermediateportion of suchv tube for inflation thereof in overlapping relation tothe position of said` marginal portion of the uninflated said other tubeso as to work the surface of said outerl wall overlying said other tubeupon alternate ination'of said tubes;

10. In'a iiexible covering for preventing ice-v accumulation upon theleading edge of an airfoil, in combination, a flexible sheet backing, anouter wall of resilient rubber-like material overlying said backing, aplurality of spanwise-ex# tending iniiatable tubes of resilientrubber-like material disposed beneath said wall in side-by.vv siderelation upon said backing with the adjacent margins of adjacent tubescontacting rone another and secured together, each tube com--v prisingan outer circumferential portion united -with said outer wall and aninner circumferen tial portion including spaced marginal portionsthereof comprising an elastic fabric reinforcement, said innercircumferential portion being attached to said backing intermediate saidmarginal portions with said marginal portions in unattached relation tosaid backing to permit lifting of said marginal portions away from saidbacking relative to the attached portion therebetween for iniiation ofthe tube in overlapping. relation to the position of the margin of theuniniiated adjacent tube upon ination of adjacent tubes in alternation.

"11. Apparatus for preventing the accumulation'. of ice upon a surfaceexposed -to ice-forming conditions, said apparatus comprising-sheetlback-- ing material for mounting upon said surface,I outer distensiblewall material, and a pair of in-' atable passages in side-by-siderelation-and.de= iined by the backing vmaterial and outer wall materialand laterally'by spaced-apart marginal wall material joined with saidbacking material a-nd outer Wall material, the adjacent marginal Wallportions of said pair each having its joinder with said outer wallmaterial terminating laterally beyond its joinderwith said backingmaterial in the direction toward the other passage toprovideseparability of said portions ywith respect to said backing materialbetween said pas-1 sages, said adjacent marginal wall portions bed ingof stretchable material and distensible for inflation of said passagesto an inflated widthv greater than the uninflated width thereof, andsaid adjacent marginalvwall portions being yield# able to swing and?lift away from said backing material for inflation of each passage 'inover-- lapping relation tothe position of the marginal wall portion ofthe uninflated adjacent passage upon alternate ination of saidpassages.` l HOWARD E. GREENE.

REFERENCES CITEDv -The following'references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,436,889 Heston Mar, 2, 1948

